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Person of the Year..The Science Web site mentions this economist who has contributed to the understanding of science careers from an economist's point of view. below is purloined from one of her publishers blurbs on her book on economic forces in science..

"The beauty of science may be pure and eternal, but the practice of science costs money. And scientists, being human, respond to incentives and costs, in money and glory. Choosing a research topic, deciding what papers to write and where to publish them, sticking with a familiar area or going into something new—the payoff may be tenure or a job at a highly ranked university or a prestigious award or a bump in salary. The risk may be not getting any of that.

At a time when science is seen as an engine of economic growth, Paula Stephan brings a keen understanding of the ongoing cost-benefit calculations made by individuals and institutions as they compete for resources and reputation. She shows how universities offload risks by increasing the percentage of non–tenure-track faculty, requiring tenured faculty to pay salaries from outside grants, and staffing labs with foreign workers on temporary visas. With funding tight, investigators pursue safe projects rather than less fundable ones with uncertain but potentially path-breaking outcomes. Career prospects in science are increasingly dismal for the young because of ever-lengthening apprenticeships, scarcity of permanent academic positions, and the difficulty of getting funded.

Vivid, thorough, and bold, How Economics Shapes Science highlights the growing gap between the haves and have-nots—especially the vast imbalance between the biomedical sciences and physics/engineering—and offers a persuasive vision of a more productive, more creative research system that would lead and benefit the world."

I am putting this link of reviews on the book , not to advocate for the book or amazon.. but because the reviews are concisely informative about the state of knowledge of the economics of university science careers. The reviews hint that industry careers and connections are slighted. http://www.amazon.com/Economics-Shapes- ... Descending

Thanks PC. Good topic area -- while it by itself doesn't call for replies, I think this is a great thread idea and I'd like to see others nominate a "Person of the Year" for our area of interest. Let's hear other suggestions!

Dave Jensen, Moderator

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